Bargain
by BunnyMarshmallow
Summary: Rukia is an ancient demon, while Ichigo is a mere human. They both have come to a mutual agreement. Rukia will help Ichigo exact his revenge, and in return, he will hand over his soul. Simple enough right? However, neither expected love to enter the bargain. AU. IchiRuki.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **This is my first fanfic ever! I was so nervous about posting this. Be kind.

**Summary:** Rukia is an ancient demon, while Ichigo is a mere human. They both have come to a mutual agreement. Rukia will help Ichigo exact his revenge, and in return, he will hand over his soul. Simply enough right? But neither expected love to enter the mix. AU.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach. None of it. Not even a crumb.

* * *

A young man with bright orange hair slouched in his leather arm-chair, not caring how unrefined it was to do so. His elbows perched on his knees, as his calloused hands supported his somber face. His amber eyes staring off into the vast bare wall of his study. In fact, his whole study was void of items that were deemed essential. No books, no paintings, no life. But he didn't care. It reminded him too much of _them_.

_Why? _He asked himself. _Why did this happen? I couldn't save them... Why am I such a coward?_

He had contemplated the same question for months. Ever since the _incident_; the one that left him devoid of any family…

He groaned.

No. He wasn't going to think about his deceased family. He wasn't going to think of _Yuzu's_ cooking. Or _Karin's_ unhealthy obsession with sports. And he sure as hell wasn't going to think about his _father's_ goofy grin, as the crazy man pranced around the manor. No, he wasn't going to think about them...

_Dammit_. He just did.

He heedlessly clenched his fist around his trousers, not minding the wrinkles that would surely form. Those memories have long since passed. At times, he wished he could have died with them. If that were the case, he wouldn't be in the state he was now: wallowing in the guilt that consumed his life.

He wanted to know the name of the culprit who destroyed his life. That made everyday life seem like a chaotic storm, sweeping all in its path. He wanted to know-No, he _needed _to know. He would make him pay. He would make him feel every ounce of pain his dear family felt. His cries of mercy shall not be heard. He would… He would what? He was barely an adult; he also had no idea who the asshole was. Or how many of them there were.

He jumped out of the chair and slammed his fists on the mahogany desk.

"I hate them! I hate them! I HATE THEM!" He repeatedly slammed his fist after each confession. He was breathing heavily, trying to control his anger.

"Those are some eloquent words." A sultry voice spoke.

His head whirled towards the chilling voice. He hadn't realized until now that it was dark out. The moonlight illuminated half of the vast study; the other half was immersed in darkness. That's where the voice came from! He suddenly felt very exposed. Here he was out in the open, while the intruder lurked in the shadows.

He whipped his pistol from the first drawer, pointing the weapon in the prowler's direction.

Then it dawned on him, this person must be here to finish him off. He was the last Kurosaki after all. Of course! He wasn't going to give the scoundrel the satisfaction of taking him down. Shoot first ask questions later right?

He fired six times in the desired area. He knew one shot must have made contact with flesh; he was quite efficient with firearms.

The room was eerily silent. A piece of scrap paper gliding through the air would have sounded like an explosion.

A short feminine chuckle fluttered into his eardrums.

"Hasty aren't we?" The intruder sounded amused.

A thin, milky white hand protruded from the shadows, clutching something. Dumbfounded, he took a step back.

Before he could utter a word, the pale hand threw the item it was clutching on his desk. More like _items. _Each item made a soft tapping noise, as they bounced off the smooth flat surface. His eyes widened in horror.

There, on his desk laid six stiff bullets. The six bullets he had shot. Not even a single one hit. The intruder must have caught each one. But surely that was impossible right? That stuff only happened in movies right? Right?

"Wh-What are you?" He questioned, fear and curiosity laced in his voice.

"What am I? Well I'm…"

The intruder stepped into the moonlight.

"… A demon." A perfidious smile etched on her sly face.

He was baffled. Not over her hefty declaration, but over her _appearance_. Her stature… she was well… short and thin, and that was putting it mildly. She was wearing a long black button-up trench coat that fell below her knees. Her feet stuffed into black lace up combat boots. His eyes wandered to her face. Her raven tresses were cut into a short bob that fell a few inches below her chin, one stray lock laid between her eyes. Her _eyes. _They might have been the most extraordinary thing about her. They were a bright amethyst color that glimmered in the moonlight. She looked more like an angel. Too bad she was a _demon_…

He snapped out of his trance.

_Wait, did she just say she was a demon?_

* * *

Now that she was in his view, she had a better look at him. He was _almost_ abnormally tall, and had a sturdy build. He had unruly orange hair that slightly fell over his deep amber eyes. He was wearing black trousers, and a white dress shirt; around his neck hung a loose tie. To say the least, he was… _ugly_.

She shrugged nonchalantly. It was not as if she found a human attractive before. Humans were all the same to her. They were vile creatures who used deceit for their own personal benefit. However, that's what made humans so interesting. They disregard the fact that they are from the same species, and instead choose to kill each off. How pitiful. How intriguing

Her eyes scanned over him again. _He kind of looks like…_

She quickly pushed the thought out. It would be best not merge those two together. They were different people after all.

"You're a demon right?" Her ears perked at the sound of his voice.

"That is correct." She eyed him curiously. He was taking it rather well.

He nodded his head in understanding. "Okay, I belie-No way I'll believe that dumbass!" He knocked over a lamp to emphasis his disbelief.

She was taken aback. Never, in all her years of existence had she been so abruptly disrespected. And by a _human_…

"H-How dare you- y-you brat!" She was stumbling over her words too! That's how flat-out angry she was!

"If you're really a demon, then prove it!" He huffed, staring at her dispassionately.

She smiled menacingly. He was challenging her huh? She would show him.

In a flash, she was gone.

_Huh? Where did she go?_

He scoured the study. Nowhere, she upped and vanished.

"Behind you."

He whirled his body. Her trench coat was wide open; next to her hip was a sheathed sword. With lightning speed, she unsheathed her sword and jutted the tip of her blade towards his neck.

"Now do you believe?" She dared ask. His answer could mean life or death.

"Y-yes." He sputtered dumbly.

Her anger dissipated. "Look, I'm not here to kill you. I'm here to make a deal with you."

"A deal?" He asked bewildered.

The she demon nodded. "Yes, now before I can offer you this deal... I would like to know more about you."

He eyed her skeptically before he began.

"I am eighteen years old; I run a top business that manufactures medical supply. My sole purpose is to find the ones who murdered my family and make them regret they were ever born." He gripped the edges of the desk. The fury was seeping back into his body.

She raised an eyebrow incredulously. _Eighteen? _ She eyed his outfit. _Could have fooled me…_ _Manufacturing business huh? This may work…_

"I can feel the hatred oozing behind those words. Listen, I'll help you exact your vengeance…"

He narrowed his eyes. "What's the catch?"

She smirked. Right to the point. "In exchange for peace of mind, I want your soul…"

She watched him trying to find the proper words to say. It seemed his brain was not in compliance.

"I will only take your soul once you have gained your end of the bargain… That is of course, if you even have a soul…" The orange haired male raised a confused eyebrow.

"You know what they say about gingers not having souls…" She deadpanned. Maybe she did it to make him feel more at ease. Giving away your soul to a hungry demon was not something people enthusiastically jumped at the chance for.

He scoffed.

* * *

The tall male stood there pondering his options. Never in a million years did he ever imagine himself being stuck in this sort of dilemma. However, if the demon could help him get revenge, and restore honor back to his family name… What was he saying? How did he know if he could trust the crazy imp!

"How do I know I can trust you?" He challenged.

She crossed her thin arms over chess. "Well, for one, I am not like you untrustworthy humans. I may be a demon, but I do not lie. Two, I will mark you with my seal. The seal will allow me to know your precise location at all times, so if you are in any trouble I will be there to aid you. I will not let you die, that's for sure. Three, what do you have to lose? Would you rather spend eternity suffocating in your own misery? Or, would you rather slice the enemy in two? You will be the knight, and I will be your sword. All you have to do is unsheathe me. "

He gazed into her bright amethyst eyes.

_A demon with morals? Heh, that's one for the books. _

"Are you really able to give me that power!?" He demanded.

A devious smile spread across her porcelain face. She nodded.

"Well then what are you waiting for demon? Give it to me!" He grinned. There was a newfound determination in his blazing amber eyes.

"Those words were spoken with a lot of heart. I know exactly where to place my seal."

Suddenly, her palm was on his left pec, where his heart was.

"By the way, it is not _demon_. It's Rukia."

"I'm Kurosaki Ichigo. Can't say it's a pleasure."

A bright light erupted from Rukia's palm. Ichigo stifled a scream from the pure agony he felt.

* * *

Minutes later, Ichigo stood in front of the mirror that was in his study. He was examining the seal, his pec was still raw from the marking. He was starting to regret his decision. On his left pec was some abominable creature. He had no idea what it was, it was that _ugly_. It was white, with long pointy ears. The eyes were black ovals with uneven eyelashes. The strangest thing was its mouth, if you would call it that. It had, what appeared to be a tongue sticking out? He shuddered.

"Ew." He muttered.

A dainty hand smacked his raw pec. _Hard_.

"Son of…" The amber-eyed fool bit his lip to prevent a scream from escaping.

"I heard that! Do you even know how many centuries I spent perfecting my seal? Too damn many to remember! And you have the audacity to say it's ew! EW? You know what's ew? Your sense of art! Let me tell you something you buffoon…" He tuned her out. She was quite rowdy for a demon. What was her name again? Oh yeah! _Rukia…_

"_Rukia."_

The tiny demon stopped mid rant; her eyebrows scrunched together in anger.

"What!" She demanded.

"What kind of name is that? I've never heard a name like that before." He asked.

Her eyebrows relaxed, and a ghost of a smile appeared on her face. Her gaze fell on her boots.

"It was given to me by an old friend, one who has long since perished. "

He was about to question her further when a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Kurosaki-kun, dinner is ready!"

A very voluptuous girl, with dark orange hair peered into the study. She was wearing a modest maid outfit that stopped mid-knee.

"Thanks Inoue, I'll be there in a sec." Oh, crap! Rukia.

His head snapped back to the spot the raven-haired girl occupied.

She was no longer there. A slight breeze tickled his tan skin. He glanced at the window; it was wide open. He made his way over when something on his desk caught his attention. A small piece of paper with delicate handwriting. He brought the scrap paper up to his face to read.

_I'll be back._

"Tch, you better." He crumpled the piece of paper and threw it in the bin. He stalked out of the study, making his way down to the dining table.

* * *

A small silhouette perched on a tree, hidden by the shadows the moon's light did not reach. Amethyst eyes gleamed nonetheless. A wicked smile stretched across the demon's face.

_This is going to be fun._

* * *

**A/N:** THE END.

Just kidding. Well, this is the end of chapter one at least. I didn't want to make the first chapter too long. This is also set in modern times, because my brain is filled with cobwebs. This is was inspired by Black Butler. It won't follow the same plot of course! Only the beginning will seem similar.

Hopefully you enjoyed reading the first chapter... No? Not even a little? Okay... Review? Please? No? Banana? Okay... Yay for crappy writing?

8-10-13

**Preview: **

_"Hello, I'm Rukia. I am… Uh… K-Kur..." The raven-haired beauty __glanced_ at her left palm."Oh right… I'm Kurosaki Ichigo's new assistant! Nice to meet you." The tiny woman announced, with a radiant smile plastered on her **angelic **face. 


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to those who read, reviewed, followed, and added to their favorites. You Rock!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

Warning: OOC-ness

* * *

Inoue sprinkled the counter with flour, rubbing some onto her hands. She began happily kneading the dough in front of her. Her palms pressed into the sticky mixture as she continued to stretch and fold the dough.

_It was so nice of Ishida-kun to let me borrow the kitchen. _

Her smile grew wider. Her fingers continued with the same rhythmic motion.

_Kurosaki-kun is going to love this bread._

Her smile faltered. Her hands came to a complete stop; not minding the dough stuck in between her fingers. Her thoughts wandered off…

_Kurosaki-kun… He's been so glum these past couple of months. I wonder what's been bothering him. I wish he would open up to me. He must be so lonely. Poor Kurosaki-kun…_

Her grey eyes glistened with tears. Noticing she was on the verge of crying, she blinked rapidly. A pleasant smile appeared on her face, and newfound determination in her eyes.

_I'm going to make the best bread Kurosaki-kun has ever tasted! I think I'm even going to add wasabi! Kurosaki-kun likes spicy food right? _

Her thoughts ended abruptly when she heard a boisterous knock on the front door.

_A visitor? I wonder who it could be?_

She swiftly wiped her dough-covered hands on her apron and bustled out of the kitchen. She finally made it to the grand entrance hall, only tripping twice on the way.

She twisted the doorknob to reveal the stranger on the other side.

"Hello, how may I help you?"

Inoue absorbed the woman's appearance.

She was wearing a long black button-up trench coat that fell below her knees, and black lace up combat boots. Her raven hair was kept in a neat bob, with only one stray hair falling between her amethyst eyes. The woman had a haunting beauty, one that was hard to come by. However, there was something unsettling about her… Something that made her skin crawl.

_"_Hello, I'm Rukia. I am… Uh… K-Kur..." The raven-haired beauty glanced at her left palm. "Oh right… I'm Kurosaki Ichigo's new assistant! Nice to meet you." The tiny woman announced, with a radiant smile plastered on her angelic face.

Inoue stood there stunned.

"Uh, are you okay?" Rukia felt compelled to ask, even waving a hand in front of the dazed girl's face.

Inoue snapped out of her trance. Realizing she had been gawking at the woman before her.

"No-no, don't worry about me! I'm fine. Um, I'm Inoue Orihime. It's nice to meet you too."Inoue mustered a nervous bow.

Neither spoke a word; they continued to gaze at each other.

Rukia's patience was wearing thin. How much longer did this girl plan to keep her out here? Didn't the girl realize she was dressed in all black, and the sun was beating down on her? Humans could be so inconsiderate.

"I'm sorry, where are my manners? Come in." Inoue opened the door wider, and stepped to the side; allowing the stranger to enter.

"You said you were Kurosaki-kun's assistant?" Inoue asked.

Rukia simply nodded as she stepped through the door.

Inoue's demeanor suddenly became much more cheerful.

"Okay! Well, Kurosaki-kun is in his study right now. I'll take you to him. Right this way." She gestured with her hand to follow.

* * *

_A demon…_

Ichigo stifled a laugh.

He was currently sitting at his desk reviewing documents. Well, he was _trying_ to review documents, but his mind wouldn't corporate. It kept wandering off to that _night_… The night where he made a pact with a demon. He would have passed it off as a dream if…

He pulled down the collar of his shirt to reveal a strange design on his chest.

That wasn't there.

He actually wanted to deny its existence. Play it off as a coincidence. He even tried to scrub the ugly thing off, but to no avail. It was the only evidence that proved that night actually happened.

Wait, it wasn't the only evidence.

He grabbed the bin next to his desk. He began rummaging through the garbage like a mad man, until he finally came across a tiny crumpled ball of paper.

He promptly straightened the crumpled paper with his fingers. It read:

_I'll be back_

_I'll be back_. The little runt said she would be back. It had been over a week, and she wasn't back.

He sighed and ran a hand through his bright hair. It almost seemed like he wanted her to come back. That was absurd. He didn't want _her_ back, he wanted her to make good on their deal. That's what he wanted.

_Never trust a demon. _

He was pulled from his thoughts when a gentle knock resounded behind the door.

"Kurosaki-kun, your new assistant is here." Inoue declared.

_New assistant? I never hired an assistant._

He scowled.

"Come in." He ordered.

The first person his eyes focused on was Inoue,as she was shutting the door, but next to her was…

He jolted up from his chair. It was her! It was the she-demon! Here she was, walking so casually towards him!

He pointed an accusing finger at her.

"I-It's you!" He blurted out.

She stopped in front of his desk. The desk being the only thing separating them.

"Yes, it is me, Kurosaki-san. Your new assistant. " She smiled innocently at him, as she jutted out her left palm. To others, it would have seemed like a simple gesture. But he knew better. He definitely knew better. He glanced at her hand. It read:

_Kurosaki Ichigo_

_Huh?_ He scratched his head. Why did she have his name written on her hand?

She seemed to notice his bewilderment, because she too glanced at her hand.

"You have got to be kidding…" He heard her mumble, her left arm dropping to her side.

This time, she extended her right palm. It read:

_Make a scene and I'll hang you by your esophagus._

He took a step back.

Oh, so that's how she wanted to play. He scowled. He wasn't going to let her get a reaction out of him.

He cleared his throat. "Well, it is nice to meet you."

He gripped her small hand, shook it a few times before letting go.

He caught a glimpse of something moving afar. It was Inoue. He had forgotten she was still in the room. She was eyeing their interaction curiously.

"Ah, Inoue. If you would excuse us." He politely dismissed the girl.

"O-of course Kurosaki-kun. M- my apologies." Inoue stuttered.

They both watched the bubbly girl walk head first into the shut door.

"Uh, Inoue, are you okay?" Ichigo asked.

Inoue laughed nervously. "Hehe, I can't believe I did that. I can be such a klutz sometimes."Her face was bright red, maybe from the impact, maybe from the embarrassment, or maybe both. She opened the study door, and quickly scurried off.

"Humans, they're so inept." He whirled around to see the demon lounging in his office chair, her filthy boots propped up on his desk.

"Well, demons are annoying!" He argued. Suddenly feeling like an idiot. Annoying? Really? Was that the best he could come up with? He sighed.

"Just shut up. I need to think. And get your feet off my desk!" Exasperation protruding from his voice. He held the bridge of his nose between his thumb and middle finger.

He was beginning to think she was more trouble than she was worth. He needed to cool down before he ended up hurling the demon out the window.

"I'm going out. Stay here, and don't even think about leaving this room. Understood?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Yes Kurosaki-sama, all is understood!" She replied in an oh so sweet mocking voice.

He stalked off, grumbling obscenities under his breath.

* * *

Inoue was cleaning the mess from earlier. Her hands gripped the wet sponge; vigorously scrubbing the counter clean.

Satisified, she let out a soft huff and wiped the back of her hand on her forehead.

"Hello, Inoue."

Inoue's heart jumped into her throat. She cautiously turned around to see who exactly called out to her.

It was only Rukia. She let out a sigh of relief.

"You surprised me. " Inoue confessed.

"Yeah, I always had a way of creeping up on people when they least expect it." She mischievously smiled.

Inoue didn't seem bothered though. "Ah! You didn't give me your last name!"

Rukia tensed. She hadn't thought about that. She wanted to smack herself. Of course, humans had two names! She couldn't tell Inoue she didn't have a last name because she was a demon. Or the fact that her name was a gift from someone who could be her great great grandfather. She glanced at the girl's beaming face.

Yeah, that wouldn't go too well.

"I prefer people calling me by my first name."

Inoue furrowed her eyebrows together, deliberating her. Then a smile spread on her face.

"Oh okay, I'll call you Rukia-san if that's alright with you!" Inoue happily exclaimed.

She nodded, her face stoic. But internally sighed. _That was close…_

"So, Rukia-san why aren't you with Kurosaki-kun?" Inoue asked.

Rukia's eye twitched ever so slightly. What was with this girl and her constant questioning!

"Ichi-I mean Kurosaki-san told me to ask you if you could give me a tour of the estate. Since he is so busy, he couldn't do it himself. " Rukia hoped that would suffice.

"Sure I would love to give you a tour Rukia-san! I was about to head to the garden. Why don't we go there first?"

Rukia nodded and proceeded to follow Inoue's lead.

* * *

It was mid-afternoon, the time the sun shinned the brightest. The two bodies followed an endless stone path. One happily swinging a wooden basket, the other dispassionately following. On each side of the path there were rows of vegetables and fruits. An image of Ichigo planting strawberries filled her mind. She covered her mouth, suppressing a chuckle.

"Oh look, it's Sado-kun!" Inoue waved over a man who was hunched forward. As they approached, it became apparent he was planting saplings in a pile of dirt. He was wearing a brown v-neck, and faded blue jeans. Black gauntlet gloves hid his hands.

"Rukia-san, this is Sado-kun. He's the gardner. Sado-kun, this is Rukia-san. Kurosaki-kun's new assistant." Inoue announced excitedly.

He grunted something that sounded like a 'hello', Rukia wasn't completely sure.

Before she could respond, something bustling in the bush nearby caught Rukia's attention.

Her hand instinctively reached out, holding the critter by its scruff.

"What are you?" She raised the creature higher to examine it. It had long floppy ears, soft white fur, and black beady eyes.

Inoue smiled. "That's a rabbit Rukia-san! You've never seen one before? Do they not have rabbits where you're from? "

Rukia shook her head. Where she was from, they did have pets, but they were giant monsters with white masks, that liked to eat everything in their proximity. They didn't compare to this, magnificent specimen.

"You are amazing!" Rukia declared. "Your kind shall take over this planet, from all the humans." A little sparkle appeared in her bright amethyst eyes.

Rukia continued to babble nonsense to the rabbit.

Inoue found it to be endearing. While Chad watched silently.

Inoue suddenly remembered something.

"Rukia-san, Kurosaki-kun doesn't really like rabbits. It might be best if he doesn't catch you playing with them." Inoue warned.

Rukia gasped, and pressed the rabbit into her chest. How could he hate such an amazing creature?

All of a sudden, she felt something.

Rukia put her hand over her chest; she felt something _flutter_.

_What is this?_

Her gaze traveled back to the rabbit. Her chest fluttered again.

_Oh, I see. This creature is trying to possess me. Clever, very clever._

She narrowed her eyes as she pulled her arm back, rabbit still in her clutch.

"W-Wh-What are y-you d-doing Rukia-san!?" Inoue asked anxiously.

Chad and Inoue watched the scene dumbstruck.

"BE GONE!" She was ready to launch the rabbit into oblivion, but something stopped her. Not something, _someone_. And that someone was gripping her wrist. The rabbit fell from her grip, and scampered off. Before Rukia could come to terms with what was happening, she was hauled onto her feet and dragged off.

Chad and Inoue both looked at each other puzzled.

* * *

Ichigo was angry. No. He was livid. He was only gone for a few minutes. He went to splash water on his face to help him cool down. When he had returned, she was gone. He scoured the study for the raven-haired girl, but she was nowhere to be found. He stopped when he saw movement in the garden from his peripheral vision. That's when he saw _her_ there, chatting it up with Chad and Inoue. Like she hadn't so blatantly disobeyed his order. She was probably trying to bargain them out of their soul too! That damn demon... It was only a matter of seconds of observing the scene before he bolted out of his study, and into the garden.

Once they entered the study he let go of her wrist.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"That rabbit was trying to take over my body." Rukia explained.

"I don't care- wait what? You thought that damn rabbit was trying to control you?" He was appalled.

She nodded. He contemplated her for a moment. That, perhaps was the dumbest thing he had ever heard.

He sighed. No longer feeling the anger he had felt a few minutes ago. He ran a hand through his orange hair. Arguing with her would be futile. He supposed _he_ had to be the one to compromise.

"Let's act civil alright? If we're going to make this arrangement work, we might as well try to get along." He offered.

She considered the proposal for a moment, before softening up.

"Alright." She agreed.

"Good, first things first. Let set up some ground rules."

"Ground rules?" She was perturbed.

"Yeah, now listen up! Rule number one: No launching rabbits into the next millennium."

She snorted.

"Humans are so-"Before she could finish she was interrupted.

"That's another thing! Stop with the 'humans are this, humans are that" crap! Rule number two: Act human. Humans don't refer to other humans as 'humans'. When you hear the word 'human', think of it as if they are referring to you. Got it?"

She nodded, a pout gracing her lips. A child was reprimanding her. If the other demons could see her, they would surely laugh.

"Rule number thre-"

Without warning a knock came from behind the door.

Inoue's head peeped into the study.

"Kurosaki-kun I think I'll be heading home for today. I left some bread on the stove."

Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck. "That's fine Inoue, will Tatsuki be walking you home?"

"Eh, No. She said she was busy…" Inoue trailed off.

"I'll walk you home." Rukia offered. It gave her a reason to get away from grumpy pants.

Inoue's eyes widened.

"R-Rukia-san, you don't have to. Really, I only live a couple blocks from here. I'm sure I can manage. I always have before, and I wouldn't want to cause you any trouble!" Inoue tried to justify.

"It's no trouble, rea-" She was cut off.

"Inoue trust me, you don't want any of this," Ichigo gestured to Rukia "in your vicinity."

Rukia elbowed him in the gut. "How dare you! My presence is lovely!"

"If you really don't mind, I would love your company!" Inoue confessed.

"Then it's settled." Rukia gave Ichigo a smug smile.

Inoue had already left for the front door, and Rukia was about to follow when…

"Rukia." Ichigo called after her, as he withered on the ground. "What game are you trying to play?"

She came to a halt.

"You don't have to worry Ichigo, her soul isn't the one I want." With that, she left. He laid there consumed in his own thoughts.

* * *

The two women silently strolled along next to each other.

Inoue was the first to speak up.

"You know Rukia-san, I've never seen Kurosaki-san so expressive. Ever since his family left on an extensive vacation he's been so… sad."

"Vacation?" Rukia asked.

Inoue nodded. "Yeah, but Kurosaki-kun couldn't go. He had to stay behind and watch after the business. I wonder when they'll be back…." Rukia analyzed the information Inoue had unknowingly given her. Then it clicked.

_She doesn't know the truth._

She smirked. She had to give the guy some credit. That was a pretty good cover story. Not the best, it would certainly back fire eventually. But still… It seemed like there was more to Kurosaki Ichigo than he let on. He wasn't so transparent after all.

_Interesting. _

"You know what I think?" Inoue suddenly asked.

"What?" Rukia asked out of politeness, not like she actually cared what the girl thought.

"I think Kurosaki-kun having an assistant will be a good change for him."

Rukia didn't respond, only glancing at the girl.

She finally caught wind of Inoue's clothing.

"So… does Ich-Kurosaki-san make you wear _that_?" Rukia asked referring to Inoue's maid outfit.

She blushed. "Eh-No, I actually it bought from a little shop; I think the owner's name is… Urahara. He makes the cutest clothes!"

Rukia's ears perked up, it had been nearly a century since she last heard that name. There was only one Urahara she's ever came in contact with. It couldn't be… could it?

"Urahara? Urahara Kisuke? She asked. Eyeing the girl suspiciously.

Inoue tapped her chin with her index finger, trying to rack her brain.

"Hmm… I'm pretty sure that's the one! Do you know him? Would you like his business card?"

Rukia nodded. Inoue rummaged through her purse for the item.

"Ah-ha! Here it is!" Inoue handed the card to Rukia's awaiting hand.

She quickly stuffed the card in the front pocket of her trench coat. They continued to walk in silence until they reached a decent looking apartment complex.

"Well here's my home! It was nice meeting you Rukia-san. See you around." The orange haired girl gave a small bow before walking off.

Rukia smiled and waved at Inoue's retreating form.

_That girl has a lot of hidden turmoil... _

Her face fell grim. She had smiled more today than she ever had in her whole existence.

She sighed. Her face was sore. Pretending to be human was hard.

She sauntered forward, until she felt a familiar presence behind her.

Rukia smirked as she came to a halt.

"You know stalking is a crime right?"

* * *

There was a lot of Inoue...

Thanks for reading! Keep Rockin~

8-17-13

**_Preview_: **

_Urahara's Little Pleasures_

_"No! There is no way in hell I'm going in there!"_


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